Co-chair of the firm’s Real Estate Practice Group, Simone Wilson-Brito represents clients in all aspects of commercial real estate financing, leasing, acquisitions, and sales. Simone represents landlords and tenants in drafting and negotiating office leases, lenders and borrowers in commercial loan transactions—including helping lenders finance non-traditional loans involving the construction of hydroponic green houses and the refinancing of loans involving taxi-medallions as collateral—and purchasers and sellers in acquiring and disposing of commercial real estate.
Prior to rejoining McCarter & English, Simone was real estate counsel for The Rockefeller Group Development Corporation, where she gained valuable experience in understanding the business considerations that fuel real estate transactions. Simone negotiated construction-related agreements and worked closely with construction professionals to oversee the administration of construction contracts involving the delivery of build-to-suit warehouses. During her tenure with the company, she negotiated leases, building contracts, licenses and other transaction documents supporting the company’s development, management, and ownership operations in New York, Florida, South Carolina, and New Jersey.
Simone is co-chair of McCarter’s Women’s Initiative Steering Committee, which presides over the policies that have led to McCarter receiving Gold Standard Certification from the Women in Law Empowerment Forum for seven of the last eight years. She is also a member of McCarter’s Diversity Committee. Her involvement in the Newark community includes serving as a member of the Board of Trustees of the YMCA of Newark and Vicinity.
